


Lapizzarella

by ohmythief



Series: Alternative Lifes for Lapidot [4]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Pizza Place, F/F, Slow Burn, Small Pearlmethyst, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Strangers to Lovers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-03 03:08:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,451
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24343981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ohmythief/pseuds/ohmythief
Summary: “Amethyst this is the worst idea you've ever had, and you are big in bad ideas” Lapis was struggling to put her disdain into words, her own head about to burst into flames from anger.The girl in question was wheezing and nearly suffocating with her own laughter, afraid to drop death any second now.At her side, Pearl stared at the announcement dumbfounded “We should have anticipated that letting her choose the name was a terrible idea”
Relationships: Lapis Lazuli/Peridot (Steven Universe)
Series: Alternative Lifes for Lapidot [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1698409
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	Lapizzarella

There was this stupid little thing about soul mates her kindergarten teacher kept telling the group. 

“Someday you will find your other half! Isn’t it nice? Then, the whole world will fit into place” she showed the children her wrist, where her mark could be spotted with beautiful hues of purple and green like watercolors sprouting out of a gold outlined square.

She remembered thinking how beautiful it was back then, and she agrees with this even now. But Lapis Lazuli despises the idea of soul mates becoming the key to “make the world fit into place”. That couldn’t be it. Her teacher was just a love-struck lady. And the becoming years taught her that she was right, soul mates weren’t everything in this world.

Some people didn’t even have a soul mate to begin with. Others just couldn’t care less, even after meeting their so called other half. A few soul mates didn’t fall in love with each other as quick as the media covered it. Love was tough, and falling in love with people that weren’t your soul mate was possible. 

And these relationships could work. It just didn’t happen for Lapis, but she knew that her happiness never depended on another person. It was better being on your own that in bad company anyway, and Lapis learned the hard way.

That’s why when she moved on from her past relationship, she decided to forgive herself and let her friends in (although doing the whole girlfriend thing again was on her sealed shelf, no thank you). It didn’t explain how she could possibly let herself be dragged to one of Amethyst’s horrible ideas.

It all started one night with them sleeping over at Pearl’s house. Said girl was busy somewhere while Amethyst and Lapis were busier scrolling down their phones and doing exactly nothing in the guest room.

Lapis wasn’t sure what time it was already when Pearl entered the dorm and started fixing the mattress for them (even they insisted that she should let it go, for god’s sake. Just stop Pearl, stop) twice that day. Before Pearl could detail her work and brush every wrinkle away, both Lapis and her noticed Amethyst’s shit eating grin and her eyes glinting with mischief. Whatever going on in her head was no bueno.

So how did they end staring at the front of their newly owned pizza place, with the excuse of investment (this took Pearl and Lapis’ savings. Amethyst said that she will pay them, which the two taller girls only looked at each other and just knew it was not going to happen). And how did this ever come to be? What was Amethyst’s so convincing speech that made them actually do this?

“You both are too fidgety and keep complaining about your job at the café anyway”

Oh right.

“And I hate Holly’s guts, more than you guys”

Something like that.

“We will be our own bosses! How cool is that?”

Their resentment towards their old job got the best of them. So be it.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


And it turned out actually really great. As long as Amethyst was far away from the kitchen, Pearl’s scrutiny was polished into making the pizzas beautifully and with this new girl Bixbite, they were as tasty as aesthetically well put.

For Lapis, it was nice. The new routine was good, even with annoying customers from time to time (like this guy, Reynaldo? Something like that, weird dude). The only thing that was NOT nice, was the name of the Pizza Place.

“Lapizzarella is an awful name, c’mon Pearl! You can’t let her win this” Lapis could feel herself near tears this time, her hands with fistfuls of dyed blue hair framing her face.

“I’m so sorry Lapis, we did let her fill the form for us. The name is a legal given by now, and to be honest” she hid he smile behind her hand “It is kind of... catchy”

Amethyst behind them was shining with glee, her cheeks slightly tinted while she scratched her neck sheepishly “See? It works, we will do fine!”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


She groaned while moping the floor near the bathrooms, her mind drifting to the memory of people that personally knew her (not any friends, she didn’t do friends more than the two girls that dragged her to where she was. Just people from college and stuff) snickered or tried to swallow their laughter with the amusing choice of name. It was frustrating that most of those times she was found on cleaning duty. 

More likely, she was the only one put on cleaning duty. Amethyst always escaped, and Pearl was… off somewhere else. She was sure she heard both of them laughing somewhere hidden. So Lapis really was the Cinderella of the pizza place. 

Whatever, she didn’t like being face front with people anyway. Customers were more often annoying.

The blue haired girl was already putting away the mop when she heard the counter bell. And it rang twice, and a third time. And it didn’t stop after the fifth time.

“For fuck’s sake, Amethyst” she let out an exasperated sigh, whispering beneath and cursing because Amethyst was again MIA. Probably pestering and pinning over someone, specifically.

She tried to put her best smile and turned to walk out of the bad lit closet, but an intense itch in her wrist stopped her from moving. She recognized this from well-known stories, and she could feel herself sweating already. Biting her lip, she tried to purposely ignore the persisting ring of the bell.

From her spot, she could hear the poor Bixbite trying to calm the customer down, so no Pearl nor Amethyst around. Excellent.

The conversation was entirely muffled, but soon enough she could hear Bixbite’s apologies getting closer and closer until the girl’s shadow became visible and soon she peeked from the door frame. She studied Lapis’ stunned body and cleared her throat “Lapis? Do you mind… Um… I can’t find Amethyst, can you-“

“Yeah, just give me a minute, I’ll be right back”

“S-Sure…” Bixbite didn’t go away, a few awkward seconds passing by while both girls stared at each other in a pregnant silence “Um… Are you okay?”

Lapis nodded too fast, and this only brought more worry on the other’s face but she only smiled and walked away.

The now lone girl scratched her wrist and saw the golden flicker intensifying by every step she took towards the counter. She tried to hide the inversed triangle with her sleeve but found it too short and cursed.  _ Whatever, this was meant to be anyway… It’s not like she owns them anything… It was a stupid thing, stupid soul mates… But please be a girl? _

She forced her blue eyes to focus straight front and found this guy Renato glaring daggers at her. She shifted her eyes towards her wrist and sighed with upmost relief when nothing changed. It was impossible anyway, Lapis has already seen Renaldo.  _ Why is it still itching so much, though? _

She looked around and found no one else in the place. Her nails kept tracing the tattoo, eyes unfocused while hear eyes finally picked Roberto’s jabbering “-Is she a pirate, though? That’s why she has got this-“ he repeatedly pointed at his left eye keeping it closed.

Lapis found herself sighing, once again “Rodolfo-“

“It’s Ronaldo!”

“Right, please let Bixbite alone. She’s not a pirate thank you very much. Are you going to order something?” he opened his mouth to speak, but Lapis shook her head and interrupted pointedly “Aside from the same cherry soda and sitting on the far corner to stalk our chef” 

Lapis watched Renaldo’s exaggerated gasp and hurt, and deadpanned.

She tried with all her might not to roll her eyes, but got halfway through it when the loud voices of Amethyst and someone new caught with her from behind. Her eyes stopped midway and fell on her naked wrist. The triangle with soft corners seemed to burn on her skin by how bright it became, but the scratching came to a stop. 

She gulped down while a faint buzz joined the cackle of laughter from the kitchen and Ricardo’s boring excuses.

“Hello, welcome to-“ Amethyst’s sing-song voice disappeared as soon as it came, a loud growl replacing it “What- Renaldo, go away!”

“It’s Ronaldo” he cried, but finally walked out of the place. Not like any of the girls noticed. Amethyst was complaining about Ronald with Bixbite still in the kitchen, her arm hanging loosely on a small and tiny girl’s shoulder. Said stranger shrugged her arm away and finally, finally met Lapis’ blue eyes. Her big green eyes scanned the room once and stopped again while fixing her big round glasses, her eyebrows knit together at Lapis dumbfounded expression.

Right at this moment, Lapis could feel her heart ricocheting through the ceiling while her wrist tickled intensely hidden behind her. Her eyes were big as saucers while studying the blonde’s features. She noticed the cute freckles strewn all from her cheeks to her round nose currently wrinkled with confusion. Her thin lips hung loop sided in grimace and while Lapis did feel something (not her world, that was stupid) falling into place, the fuzzy feeling was replaced with dread because… This girl wasn’t acknowledging this at all.  _ How is this possible? Am I wrong? _

Amethyst took the right moment to grab the blonde’s arm and they left they started walking away from Lapis, not before her big green eyes side glanced at her again before looking away. 

The blue haired girl looked at her wrist and felt cold all over. She saw the moment the inversed triangle stopped growing beautiful lines of green and blue, settling into a smaller composition that traced just outside the original gold shape now brighter somehow. Her free hand clutched at her short sleeve and the words of her teacher rattled inside her head.

“Someday you will find your other half! Isn’t it nice? Then, the whole world will fit into place”

She was wrong. It was not so easy. 

For Lapis, even if she couldn’t care less about her soul mate, everything seemed now oddly out of place. Something was very wrong.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


That’s right. Lapis Lazuli didn’t care about soul mates.

There was some kind of mistake, something weird but it’s not like she cared enough to put her routine upside down and search for answers. It was fine.

The only answer she found was the blonde’s name.

“This is ‘Dot”

“I already told you to stop calling me like that, my name is Peridot” the blonde groaned and walked away from Amethyst. 

“Don’t tell her this, but I’m flirting with her” Amethyst winked at Lapis, and added finger guns to it. 

But Lapis knew better, “This is not another way to make Pearl jealous, is it?”

The shorter girl’s finger guns dropped harshly and her face turned a bright red “No way- I don’t have a crush on Pearl anymore”

“Yeah, right. Keep telling yourself that” she grinned while Amethyst followed after Peridot not before clicking her tongue and hissing at the blue haired girl.

She couldn’t stop her eyes from following after them and lingering a few seconds too long over the blonde´s retreating frame. Her fingertips subconsciously touched her now colorful wrist and something annoyingly wrapped over her heart like it was moldable sand. 

While completely lost in thought, she jumped at the sudden voice near her “Something the matter?”

She found Pearl’s all-known smile and a curious light over her eyes. She purposely looked at Lapis’ wrist and stayed too long there, before meeting her blue eyes again “It’s nothing”

“If you say so” she hummed and left her alone.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“Hi, welcome to-“ she choked on her words. Her usually bored voice now high-pitched “Um… Did you come to see Amethyst?” Lapis scratched her wrist above the fabric of her sweater (an habit she has gotten into, annoying but persistent. See also: it was only with Peridot around)

Her green eyes studied Lapis, the jump on her shoulders and how Lapis fought back the blush creeping from her neck. She didn’t seem interested at all, instead fixing her gaze over her wristband clock before finally speaking “Lapis Lazuli, wasn’t it?”

“Yeah, and you are Peridot”

“Yes” she cleared her voice, her face now with a frown “Can you tell Amethyst I’m here for my sweater? She found it amusing enough to steal it”

“Yeah, she does that” Lapis rolled her eyes, but didn’t move. Instead, her eyes fixed on green ones that immediately relaxed except for a small wrinkle between her eyebrows. She had to stop herself from reaching out and smooth it with her own fingertips. 

Peridot’s eyes looked away sheepishly and her fingers started drumming on the counter. And that’s when Lapis saw it.

“Oh” she said out loud.

Peridot’s green eyes snapped out of whatever thought she was immersed in and her head tilted sideways “What?” the small wrinkled now more evident. She stared Lapis expectantly.

“Sorry… I will call Amethyst for you”

The blonde’s face was struck with more confusion and then realization, like she suddenly forgot her original intention to stand there. She coughed and whispered, as low as Peridot’s nasal and usually loud voice could let her “Right”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Pearl stood and smugly smiled down at Lapis, now wrapped between blankets as her attempt to hide from the world and everything in it “What should I do?!”

Beneath her cocoon of fabric she could notice Pearl sitting beside her and patting what she thought was the right place for her head. Lapis guessed that her blue hair was a smart giveaway, given the white clean blankets “What could you ever mean with that?”

She peeled a few layers off her and glared at the sitting girl “She doesn’t know, she  _ can´t _ now. Nobody told me I had to tell my soul mate. I didn’t even want a soul mate”

“Then, consider yourself lucky”

She followed Pearl’s gaze and found the girl absentmindedly touching her wrist with beautiful hues of pink and purple “Why should I? It only became more awkward-“

“Sometimes finding your soul mate is a lot of pressure. On either side, if not both. Sometimes you are not ready yet” she faced elsewhere, avoiding Lapis and leaving her unable to read her “I don’t deny my soul mate at all, you know that already. But it does feel heavy when you are suddenly committed to one person. It makes you wonder sometimes if you ever had a choice to begin with”

“I’m sorry, Pearl”

“Nevermind that” her eyes found Lapis again and she seemed genuinely happy “I said you are lucky because this time you’ve got a choice”

“Isn’t it unfair, though? Not telling her… Given that she couldn’t know herself”

“Perhaps, but not everyone has the choice to be selfish on this. Are you going to tell her?”

Lapis thought hard about it. She slowly raised from her cocoon of blankets and stared to a random spot in the room “Maybe, but definitely not yet”

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The blonde stood near an empty table. Her hands covered in green gloves worked on the scarf nearly covering half of her face. Her light skin was showered in dark spots of blush thanks to the unforgiving cold from outside. She seemed distraught, her glasses askew as she kept hitting them every time her hands tried to cover her red nose. 

She felt her shoulder bumping and soon heard Bixbite apologizing. She smiled at the tan girl and waved her goodbye, before once again focusing on the shivering small girl near the entrance. She could feel her own blush threatening her skin, but this one wasn’t exactly from the cold. With a quick side glance, she found Pearl’s smug grin and Lapis inwardly cursed, her hand moving away from her wrist already.

It was a slow day, and they decided to meet at Amethyst’s home to celebrate the last Friday before closing for Christmas eve. Lapizzarella was doing amazingly, so they could expend a small vacation. Amethyst convinced her two partners (in crime, as she said) to relax and have a few boozes before Pearl travels far to meet a young relative. Usually, Amethyst would join her given that they were both close family to the Universe’s but this year she will stay behind to prepare for finals. 

Lapis remembered looking at Amethyst unconvinced, but the shorter girl cried out that she was serious(ly about to fail), or she would be repeating the trimester as a new year gift. And if Lapis might add, things have been awkward between her two friends. 

So, that’s how they found themselves with two bottles already empty and a drunk Amethyst spinning the bottle. Except that she kept repeating the motion, never satisfied with the result on either end. Lapis was light headed herself, but not enough to ignore this opportunity to mock Amethyst another time. She brought out her phone and started recording the girl (and the video will be awfully recorded but they will laugh about it)

Lapis laughed at Pearl’s attempts to stop her, but she swallowed her mirth the same time she noticed Peridot chuckling in front of her. Because somehow Amethyst managed to drag the blonde into this. Somehow being her being a little shit and knowing all too well about Lapis’ crush with the small girl.

Except that it wasn’t as simple as a crush. This was Lapis’ soul mate. Amethyst just didn’t know that part, yet.

She saw the blonde girl standing up and walking towards the small kitchen. And maybe it was the alcohol in her system, of this saccharine feeling in her guts, the butterflies in her stomach (and the alcohol mixing in all of this); she followed her and stopped right on the door frame.

Like a creep, she stared at Peridot looking for something in the fridge. It wasn’t until said small girl spotted whatever she was looking for and gleefully hummed, serving a glass full of it and nearly dropping it when she noticed Lapis awkwardly watching her ( _ This wasn’t one of her proudest moments) _ ; that she finally and intelligently said something to call her attention properly.

Something really smart, but she didn’t remember whatever it was.

“Excuse me?!” Peridot spoke completely rushed, her eyes big and her glasses missing “Lazuli, you are drunk. I don’t understand a single thing you are trying to say” she grimaced, and left her glass forgotten on the kitchen counter.

Lapis just chuckled, her face and ears and neck completely red. Her thoughts rushing, her heart beating fast “Do you wanna go out?”

Peridot panned her surroundings, probably looking for a way to escape the situation for her green eyes settled of Lapis “Sure, you probably need it” without missing a heartbeat she grabbed Lapis by her elbow and dragged her outside.

Not exactly what drunk Lapis meant, but said blue hired girl still sat happily beside Peridot on the grass. They watched above, the stars showering them with silver light all around the backyard.

Blue eyes stole a few glances over the smaller body at her side. She noticed an evident blush on her light skin but was more focused on the beautiful contrast her own dark skin made with Peridot’s freckled skin bathed in moonlight. A desire to hug her close, and  _ kiss her  _ nearly swallowed her into surrender. Her thoughts stopped as her eyes traveled down the blonde’s elbow, pass her scars and found the silver surface of her prosthesis.

They metal was polished, and outshone the moon with how well it reflected the light. Lapis wanted to touch them and discover if they were as cold as they looked. But not even as drunk as she was (she wasn’t drunk, she wasn’t), she would never dare to. 

When she glanced up, she choked in her breath by how beautiful Peridot was. Everything about her. Even when she worried her lower lip, and eyes shone with uncertainty. Lapis followed where her green eyes were fixated and found her own naked wrist. Without thinking, she traced the green lines with her fingertips and suddenly the cold wind bit even more harshly on her heated skin.

By the corner of her eyes, she noticed Peridot shivering. And as much as she wanted to wrap herself over the small girl, she didn’t move.

She found enough bravery to speak “How come you someone like you ended with Amethyst?”

Peridot snapped out of whatever trance she was into “Excuse me?!” 

Lapis snickered, finding amusement on how Peridot’s voice blurted that same sentence just before. But remembered that it was because- She didn’t remember “I thought Amethyst and you were… Yanno, dating?”

“We definitely are not” Peridot wrinkled her nose in disdain, and Lapis’ heart gave a gleeful jump “It’s obvious she’s trying to make it work with her own soul mate” her eyes drifted somewhere behind them, but returned to meet Lapis’ eyes.

“Well, what do you think about it?”

One of her eyebrows tilted up “About what?”

Lapis snorted, “About soul mates” and suddenly she didn’t feel all that brave.

Peridot visually shut herself, propping her chin on her raised knees and hugging her legs. Her silver arms glistening in the moonlight “I don’t think about it. I’m certain I won’t be good at the whole soul mate thing”

The taller girl couldn’t avoid feeling crestfallen “Why... do you say so?”

“It’s just… I find it really stupid. I don’t need a soul mate to feel whole” she waved her mechanical arms and grimaced “I already have enough missing parts on my own” she tried to smile, but it didn’t meet her eyes.

“Peridot, that’s not-“

“I don’t need your pity” her silver fingers clutched the grass beside her, digging in the ground and disrupting the green pattern.

Somehow, Lapis felt angry at this. But before she could argue, Peridot kept going.

“Look, that was a terrible joke out of self-pity. I just find it ridiculous that someone will instantly and magically fall in love with me. There is something wrong with that kind of law”

Lapis stared at the girl, words caught in her throat and suddenly being replaced by a burst of laughter. Peridot looked at her like she grew a second head, her silver fingers brushing the dirt off.

Her expression became irritated, certain that the blue haired girl was finding her hilarious “Stop laughing. I’m dead serious, why do soul mates exist? Why couldn’t it be a useful tool telling you actual important stuff?”

Between gasps of laughter, Lapis found her voice for a few seconds “Like what?!”

“Like,” she groaned at the girl mocking her “The career your entire future depends on? What is so important about love partners, anyway- Why do you keep laughing at me?!”

“I’m not-“ she tried to quiet down, succeeding after taking deep breaths. She shoved away a few tears already gathering on the corner of her eyes. Her vision half blurred, she stared at Peridot and nearly lost her breath. She could feel herself sobering up, but this only made her find the blonde even more breathtaking beneath the moonlight “Okay, I might be laughing about you-”

The blonde growled and covered her face with her hands.

“But! It’s because you are right”

“How does that make any sense? I knew it, you are too drunk”

Lapis again, snorted and her rose tinted (figurative) glasses found Peridot wrinkling her nose completely adorable “Maybe but I still think you are right. This world gives soul mates too much power, and somehow it becomes a cage. I have always hated it how people would romanticize not really having a choice”

Her blue eyes looked up at the night sky. But only for a short moment, up until she found her gaze focused on Peridot once again. Her body jumped at how the blonde seemed to be staring at her in awe, and while they exchanged a long and comfortable silent in the pools of their eyes, both girls blushed furiously. 

Peridot shook her head and Lapis found her hand scratching that known spot on her colorful wrist.

The blonde’s green eyes left the blue eyes hanging and found an interesting spot in the grass “Right” her soft voice said, almost carried away by the wind.

Lapis smiled.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Amethyst threw a furtive glance towards the taller girl. A glance that was so full of pining and sadness, Lapis couldn’t avoid rolling her eyes.

“Do something about it” the blue haired said, chewing on her piece of gum out of habit as it was already missing the flavor.

The shorter girl glared at her and was about to say something when they heard the door opening and closing, the blonde girl already meeting the blue eyes. Lapis immediately found herself blushing and she choked, swallowed her gum when she heard Amethyst whispering smugly “Like yer one to talk”

She was about to throw a snarky remark at her friend when Peridot began complaining about her work, like always. And Lapis listened at her intently, like always, sometimes nodding and agreeing with the smaller girl. While they sat at their usual table she side glanced at Amethyst at rolled her heads at the shorter girl acting up kissy faces. Gladly, she avoided adding the kissy noises this time.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


“I quit” Peridot once said, and Lapis dropped the bills she almost finished counting. 

She groaned, resigned that she would have to start again but maintained the bare minimum of conversation “You what?”

“Well, technically they made me quit. Since I might have calledmybossaclod” 

Lapis stopped at put the cash back in the drawer, her blue eyes falling on her blonde friend “Peridot, in English please?”

Peridot took a deep breath, and still spoke rushed but well enough to understand her completely. Her eyes didn’t meet Lapis’ and her silver finger scratched her chin nervously.

“You called your boss a clod?!” Peridot flinched at Lapis’ newfound loud voice. Her body shrunk on itself and she was getting ready for an earful, but instead relaxed at Lapis soundly snorting and snickered. Her smile so big that her eyes nearly became slits, as she watched the smaller girl through her mirth “That’s top shelf for quitting”

“You think so?” Peridot giggled softly, small but still as important. And a warm feeling burst inside Lapis.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


It’s been a year and a half before the soul mate stuff came to light again. 

They were discussing about pineapple on pizza, a recurrent conversation. 

Pearl remained neutral still, taking a few bites off the offending pizza while Amethyst and Peridot watched in evident disgust, even going as far as imitating throwing up.

“Garnet, what do you think?” Amethyst asked the tallest girl in the room. The girl in question, Garnet, grabbed one slice with pineapple but did nothing more. Not even her face changed expression. Lapis thought it was somehow stuck in a constant poker face. 

All eyes focused on her, the unnerving silence stretching as they waited for her answer. She hummed before taking a single bite, and slowly dropped her arm with the pizza now missing a piece. She faced Amethyst and finally spoke in her deep voice “It’s disgusting”

Nothing else was said for a whole 10 seconds. Amethyst just grabbed sheepishly the slice that Garnet now offered her, and she gingerly left it on the box for someone else to eat it.

It was Peridot’s snickering that broke the silence “See? No one truly likes it! Pearl, admit it. You tolerate it”

“Yeah, Pearls. If you have a pepperoni slice and one with pineapple, the choice is obvious”

Pearl cleared her throat and tried to argue, “Well-“

“Nonsense,” Peridot crossed her arms “This discussion is over” her green eyes fell on Lapis, out of habit. Nothing was said between them both. They looked at each other for unspoken comfort.

“What about you, Lapis Lazuli?” Garnet suddenly said and the mentioned girl turned towards her. Garnet wore a tiny smile, a knowing smile and Lapis knew (not sure how but), she knew that Garnet noticed that small moment between Peridot and herself. Her all time present blush (for all times Peridot was herself present) intensified.

She glanced around and noticed all eyes now trained on her. Nervous for suddenly earning the spotlight, she did the best thing she could come up with. Her hand moved on her own.

Lapis grabbed one slice of pineapple on pizza, closed the distance between it and her and just… Took a big bite nearly eating half of it. She chewed nonchalantly, watching the faces of horror on everyone else (yes, even Pearl’s. And no, Garnet was again on poker face mode). 

Lapis swallowed and then did the unforgiving thing. She took the rest of the pizza, enjoying every last bit of it.

Amethyst gasped in terror, betrayal clear on her face and Peridot covered her eyes with her silver hands. Enjoying this sweet moment too much, she took a second slice and found that she did like pineapple on pizza. 

“Blue, you are fuckin’ disgusting. Do not come near me again, ever” 

“Amethyst, language-“

“No way, she’s a monster Pearl” Amethyst cried, her hands pulling her hair “This should be the real test for soul mates. Monsters alike coping together, like you Lapis Lazuli. Get out of my house”

“This is my house, Amethyst” Lapis rolled her eyes.

They continued bickering for a while, their voices loud and cheerful. Laughter came easily between them until it was time to clean up. Then, everyone had something to do.

“It’s late. Um… I- We will be leaving. I will see her getting home” Amethyst pointed at Pearl, but her eyes didn’t follow. 

Instead, Pearl helped carry the pizza boxes over to the small kitchen before joining them soon since the cozy apartment was small, and the walk short “Yes. We will be taking our leave now”

Lapis watched them, humming in thought but said nothing. They seemed to have enough on their own “Alright then, be careful. It is late”

Against Lapis’ will, Pearl hugged her and then Amethyst crushed her in a second hug attempt, ruffling her blue hair as much as she could before Lapis joked about her stature. The last sight of them was Pearl face palming and he shorter girl taunting Lapis with her tongue out, and they shut the door. 

She tried to fix her hair a little and faced towards the two girls left. Except Garnet was already missing. The only one left was the small blonde currently tinkering with Lapis’ oddly shaped ornament of the coffee table.

Lapis sat beside the girl and watched her skilled fingers working with it, going as far as dismantling it and quickly putting it together. With a smug smile she wiped her nose and then turned on the switch that Lapis never knew was there. The abstract figurine light up, or should she call it now-

“It was a lamp all along” it wasn’t a question, Lapis just nodded and stared at the lamp now illuminated by a soft baby blue. Peridot gingerly put it on her hands and avoided Lapis’ eyes. Meanwhile, the blue haired girl took advantage of this for studying Peridot’s face and how the blue light reflected against her arms and softer on her light skin.

“I guess I should get going to”

“Oh, but it’s late…” Lapis built enough courage to watch those green eyes focus on her and be mixed in confusion and uncertainty, and after a few seconds she found her voice again “Why don’t you stay?”

Both girls jumped at the implication, and Peridot stood up immediately with Lapis following right after “I would be a nuisance, I should really get going”

“No!” she thoughtlessly grabbed at one of Peridot’s arms and fought the flinch that nearly escaped her by the cold feeling of the silver surface. But her hand didn’t move, instead pulled the arm closer and held it tighter “Seriously, it’s really late and no problem at all. Unless you have someone waiting for you?” she bit back her remorse, and mentally told herself that there was nothing wrong in tasting the water.

“Just Pumpkin, but my neighbor can handle her”

“Pumpkin?”

“My cat” Peridot’s free hand brought out her phone and started looking through her phone “See? It’s an orange munchkin”

Lapis cooed at the small cat on Peridot’s screen “She’s really cute, but munchkin? Do cats have breeds?” she snorted at Peridot’s mocking betrayal shown on her face.

“Of course they do. Your ignorance is expected from someone who eats pineapple on pizza like a monster”

“You sure seem to hang out with Amethyst a lot, ‘Dot”

“Please don’t call me that” she rolled her eyes and wrinkled her nose in disgust.

“Not fond of pet names, I see” she let Peridot’s arm go and brushed her sides unknowingly. Still, she noticed the smaller girl flinching at the slight touch, this only amused her ever more and the smile on her face was suddenly unavoidable “Peridot, are you…”

“No” the blonde took a step back, her silver arms hugging her sides “I ask you to stay where you are, Lazuli”

She didn’t wait for her to say anything else. Of course, Lapis did the reasonable thing. She jumped at Peridot and started tickling her sides, bringing a cacophony of beautiful and loud laughter mixed with pained intakes of breath out of Peridot. She herself joined the mirth of the moment and avoided Peridot’s weak punches and kicks until she finally hit her ribs and made Lapis flinch away from her.

Lapis rubbed the abused spot and saw Peridot running away from her. Which was a futile attempt, given that this was indeed Lapis’ house and the blonde didn’t know the place. She grinned at Peridot’s small frame disappearing around the corner and going to the only room left, since there was nowhere else to go but outside. And they agreed, although unspoken yet, that Peridot was staying the night.

She ran towards Peridot and before her hands could reach the door on the far end she heard the click of the lock. Lapis hummed triumphantly and cupped the door knob between her arms. Like muscle memory, she moved the knob twice right and a forceful left, and the door was left open.  _ Never underestimate the owner of the house. _

She could hear Peridot’s shriek behind it, and the terror in her eyes when faced with Lapis’ mean look. With a swift slide to her left (and given that her legs were longer than Peridot’s), she grabbed the small girl. What she did not expect was for her foot to slip and have them both falling down. 

Lapis’ quick thinking and reflexes helped with a quick jump on a single foot, dragging Peridot between her arms and tumbling over the bed. As said before, the apartment was small. Thanks to this, the bed wasn’t too far for them so they landed safely. 

When they suggested the girls night out, she surely didn’t expect it to end with Peridot flat against her own mattress. Not a bad sight,  _ at all.  _ But Lapis didn’t want the world to swallow her whole, or let the fire on her skin burn her alive at least. Painful, but effective. 

Her dark skin was quick to let the blush spread all over her face and neck, reaching her ears but not as bad as Peridot’s own blush. The blonde girl was being replaced by a humanoid sort of cherry, her pupils blown away and her glasses askew.

She couldn’t stop herself. Her eyes traced down, over Peridot’s thin lips and how troublesome it was that she couldn’t simply stop the smaller girl from worrying her lower lip with her own lips and teeth, or easily brush the outline of her mouth with her fingertips.

Lapis noticed her own legs straddling Peridot but stopped at the contrast of her dark arms framing the other’s freckled and red face. She fidgeted with her elbows and entire forearms propping on the blanket, afraid of moving but thinking about how awkward this has got to be for Peridot. They were so close, so close she could easily reach- Lapis’ eyes fell on her wrist. 

The tattoo was alive, the green and blue lines dancing on her skin and spreading even more no longer threatening to spill from the gold triangle, but now entirely outside of the outline and gracing the joint that gave way to her palms. On the dim lit bedroom, the tattoo was shining with soft light that reflected on them. By proximity, she found Peridot side eyeing the tattoo. 

Their eyes finally met and Lapis’ intelligent conscious left. A sigh fell from her parted lips and she eased her arms, their faces now inches apart. She closed her blue eyes, the light from the green and blue artwork still on her face and she pressed her forehead against Peridot’s.

She felt her tiny silver hands cupping her face and gingerly playing with her blue hair right behind her ears. She almost missed it, but by how close they were it was almost impossible “Is this okay?” her tiny voice felt like it could break anytime.

Lapis met her green and unfocused eyes again, her eyebrows knit together and whispered in the newly added space between their faces “What do you mean?”

Peridot gulped down, harsh and coughed. Still, her voice sounded stranded and far away “Me being your soul mate, are you okay with it?”

This made Lapis snap back and away from Peridot. She nearly jumped, leaving the smaller girl’ lap and sitting right beside her. The blonde quickly sat down and started tinkering with her wristband clock “You knew?”

Peridot flinched at Lapis’ voice. She didn’t mean to sound hurt, but somehow anger was building inside her. It was stupid, why was she even mad at this? Lapis was the one hiding the truth from Peridot anyway, she chose not to tell her. Why was she bothered by this?

She nodded, shrinking on herself and expecting Lapis’ rage for some reason. Instead, Lapis whispered softly “How?”

The blonde seemed surprised by Lapis’ calm demeanor. Her muscles relaxed and her tinkering stopped. Her fingers grabbed fistfuls of white blanket but her eyes never met blue ones “I heard Amethyst and Pearl talking about it”

“Did you eavesdrop them?”

“Not really, not intentionally” Lapis snorted “They didn’t make sure that no one was around. They seem to bicker and argue a lot not really minding if someone is there”

The taller girl hummed, she wondered if Peridot would meet her eyes and how would she look at Lapis now “They do that a lot. So they both know…”

“I’m not sure Amethyst knows about… Us” the last word felt like Peridot with tinkering with Lapis’ heart now. Alas, being with Peridot always felt that way, she admitted in her internal monologue (see also: internal screaming) “She just noticed that your identifying mark has been revealed. I just put two and two together by your weird reaction on our first meeting and Pearl’s addition on the exact date the mark happened”

“Um-“

“I also felt… It” she frowned, her arms crossed in thought.

“You felt it?”

“I felt... It”

“It”

“Yes”

Lapis really wanted to groan in agony, but stopped for Peridot’s sake. The girl seemed to be in pain by now “You don’t really know how to approach this, hum”

“Not exactly” she didn’t add anything else. The conversation wasn’t going  _ anywhere. _

With a soft face palm that Peridot couldn’t see given that she was stubborn in not looking straight at the other’s face, she sighed and spoke “Mind explaining, Peridot?”

Her shoulders trembled.

“Please?”

She gave out a sigh of her own, a long one. Peridot looked like she was trying to extend the silence enough to find a compelling answer. At last, she started talking again with a grimace “I don’t believe in a cosmic power that magically reveals to us our… future partner, sort of” Lapis rolled her eyes, a fond smile falling on her lips “There is no explainable science behind it, yet!” she added the last word with upmost importance. 

She finally, finally met the half lidded gaze Lapis was throwing at her with sincere amusement. The tall girl only waited for her to explain, she could wait forever.

“Ever since I lost my arms there have been these ghost memories from my missing… Parts” she stretched her arms as an statement, her silver fingers waving in the empty air “Sometimes I believe I could feel the warmth from a cup of tea, or the licking of my cat’s tongue on them. In reality, I would not be able to. My prosthetics don’t have any sensory attachments that deliver that kind of information to my brain. They are well fitted and have wide movement for me to rely completely on my fingers like they are real. But that’s all”

Lapis found one of Peridot’s metallic hands and her fingers started drawing invisible patterns on the surface. 

“Even now, my brain is somehow convinced that your touch tickles. But that’s not possible. I have been told that already” she closed her hand around Lapis’ with the later girl tangling their fingers together. It was cold to the touch, but her warm skin drove it away “That day I felt it. Just exaggerated movies and romcoms tell. My ghost limb was tingling, right on the spot where my real wrist would be”

Lapis wanted to ask. But she couldn’t do it, it was selfish. How come she questions Peridot her reasons for not telling her? For not sharing the truth? When she didn’t do it either? Lapis, the one whose wrist did illuminated with the seal. She intended to hide it from Peridot.

_ “I will tell her” _ she once said to Pearl  _ “but not yet”,  _ then when? It has been more than a year since that fateful day.

“I was scared of telling you. Because I knew that you despised the idea of soul mates. I thought that telling you was asking something, and I didn’t… I didn’t want you to look away from me”

“Peridot, I wouldn’t do that. I…” Lapis knew that was a lie. She would have been scared to bits, avoiding Peridot wherever she went “Alright, touché. You are right. I was scared”

“That’s normal. We didn’t know each other back then” she lifted their hands still locked together and fixed her eyes on them “I was also scared. Being promised to someone always brings all kinds of expectations”

Lapis brought their hands closer to her own lips, her kiss soft against the silver fingers. She repeated the gesture for each knuckle and finished on the back of Peridot’s artificial hand. Her lips brushed the surface with every word “Is it still scary, even now?”

“I don’t know, what is your thought on soul mates Lazuli? Has it... changed?”

Lapis watched her every move. She dropped her hand and moved to take her glasses away, putting them on the night stand beside the bed and momentarily leaving Peridot unattended. When she returned, the girl was blinking repeatedly as if her eyes were adjusting to the dim lit room. She swallowed when Lapis moved closer and her warm hand pushed her chest down, flat against the bed again. 

Peridot sided her head, looking as Lapis lied on her side while facing the blonde girl. Her fingers searched for Peridot’s hand, back in a tight grasp. Again, she kissed every knuckle before staying in her silver wrist. She kissed it there, then moved closer now pining Peridot’s hand on the space above their heads. Her shadowed face hovered above Peridot as she once again propped her body with a single elbow. With her free hand she fixed Peridot’s hair behind her ear.

“I’m still scared, but I want to be brave” she sighed and closed the distance. Her lips trapped Peridot’s as they begin dancing with delight. The blonde girl shivered and Lapis was afraid that her rush move was taken wrongly, but Peridot waved that thought away as her free hand posed on Lapis’ side. Her fingers clutched the shirt’s fabric there, her lips returning the kiss eagerly. 

Showered by yellow bulbs, their wrists connected and both were convinced that Peridot’s was giving off its own warmth. Either that or Lapis’ tattoo was brighter and stronger than ever. Forever filling the space for the both of them.

  
  
  
  



End file.
